Nipuna, the Satyam BPO, Wins Golden Peacock National Training Award 2007

The Golden Peacock Award will be presented at an event in the presence of business and political leaders from more than 20 countries and will be a part of the 18th World Congress on Total Quality, with the theme "Boardroom Strategies for Risk Management," which is scheduled to be held in New Delhi from Jan. 11 to 13, 2008.

Learners of Today

Corporate training programs are failing the learners of today. The traditional methods of passing knowledge from one person to another are inadequate for this age and these learners. Our current learning paradigms, instructional methodsand techniques are a hindrance to learning.

For example, if a company has 4,500 employees to be trained on a new product initiative, and it can only train 250 employees a month via stand up training, it will take 18 months to train all its employees. If the life of that product knowledge is 18 months, then by the time the last group is trained—the product information is obsolete. Organizations must find methods for faster deployment of instruction. They must also find better ways. Many employees elect to read email, talk on the phone or even read when forced to take boring, page-turning e-learning. The newer generation of workers is simply not gone to tolerate this boring attempt at online learning.

Crazy Ideas

Something to consider:

Your best ideas are born from madness. You've got to let yourself think crazy thoughts and dream crazy dreams to find them. Never lose that ability. If you do you'll find yourself hopelessly sane - which will drive you nuts. The next time someone tells you you're crazy; thank them for the compliment. Breathe easier knowing that you haven't lost your originality.

Something to try:

1. Hold a "crazy idea session" with some colleagues in a relaxed atmosphere.

2. Have each person finish the sentence, "wouldn't if be great if we could..."

3. Capture the ideas on a whiteboard/flipchart.

4. Go around the room several times to let the ideas build on each other.

5. Pay attention to the themes that arise.

Question: How do you tap into your crazy ideas?

STICKINESS – SKILLS RETENTION & SYNTHESIS

How do we get training to stick? It’s the million dollar question. Experts have long ago agreed that the interminable hours long dissertations and lectures are as ineffective as they are tedious. And with today’s training culture so focused on measurability, the question of skills retention and synthesis, or “stickiness”, is more relevant than ever.

There are ten criteria to creating stickiness in training
1. Train using visual, auditory, kinaesthetic and tactile tools
2. Make skills relevant and related
3. Use low density classes
4. Use short classes and short modules
5. Repeat the message often
6. Keep the message consistent
7. Provide the learner with motivation
8. Provide the learner with confidence
9. Provide the learner with support
10. Provide the learner with feedback


What we know, and what we do


Stickiness, as it relates to training, essentially involves two different elements – retention of the information being presented; and synthesizing the skills – putting them into practice in a live environment. They are two quite different concepts, and one does not necessarily follow the other.

It is quite likely, for example, that US President Bill Clinton knew that fidelity was important to both his marriage and his career, and he knew what fidelity was. What he did, of course, was quite a different story.

Training that actually translates into habitual behaviours in a live environment, therefore, must address both what people know and what people do. They are two separate and distinct outcomes, and need to be treated as such.

MEMORY AND SKILLS RETENTION – CHANGING WHAT WE KNOW

"We remember what we understand; we understand only what we pay attention to; we pay attention to what we want." - Edward Bolles

A great number of studies have been conducted regarding how we process and store information, as well as on the effectiveness of different instructional approaches in facilitating the transfer of information into short- and long-term memory.

What is clear are two things: The first is that individuals differ greatly in learning styles, and that retention is proportionate to the appropriateness of the instructional approach. The second is that, beyond learning styles, there are some common denominators to more effectively creating retention of concepts and knowledge.


Learning Styles

As has become common knowledge in the training industry, there are four fundamental
learning styles: Visual, Auditory, Tactile and Kinaesthetic. Solid evidence exists that there
is a direct causal relation to how well instruction matches a learners learning style, and how
much information is retained.

STICKINESS: SKILLS RETENTION & SYNTHESIS

There are a great number of unsupported statistics flying around these days as to which
learning styles are the most important. The truth is that, in order to maximize retention within
a mixed group of learners, all four learning styles must be addressed.

To ensure information and skills retention, therefore, the primary training methodology must
involve both visual and auditory elements. This will reach 65% of learners. To address the
remaining 35% of learners, both tactile and kinaesthetic elements must also be included.

A picture is worth a thousand words

The importance of visual learning has been well documented. In 1997, for example,
Ollerenshaw, Alison, Aidman, Eugene, & Kidd, Garry conducted a study that demonstrated
clearly the positive impact of visual learning. More importantly, as Park & Gabrieli
established in 1995, pictures are inevitably remembered better than words on tasks of recall
and recognition. This is important to remember in the design of a training program.

More importantly to note is that, although 65% of learners are visual or auditory, tactile and
kinaesthetic approaches are required to create stickiness. In 1996, Ellis, Whitehill, & Irick
established that getting hands-on experience was even better than pictures. In their study,
they found that memory of pictures is significantly less than memory of interaction with
operating and assembling an actual device.


Common Denominators To Creating Stickiness

Relevance and Relatedness

The more relevant the subject matter is to the learner, the more likely it is to be
retained. If the information is addressing a current need, recall is inevitably better.
The tendency to retain information, in fact, is directly proportionate to the immediateness and perceived importance of the learner’s needs. For instance, most people will quickly memorize and retain the personal identification number for their bank card, but would not do as well memorizing the licence plate of their car. The need for memorizing your PIN number is important, because writing it down is not a recommended option. It is also immediate – something you will likely need to have top of mind in the short term. Memorizing your car licence plate is far less important because it is easy to refer to just by going out to look at it, and it is not a number that you will be required to know all that often.

As with relevance, relatedness is also desired. Borowsky & Besner in 1993
established that words as well as pictures are read or understood faster when preceded
by a related context. For instance, it is easier to identify the word "butter" when it
comes after "bread" than when it comes after "doctor" This impacts the sequential
requirements of training design, as well as the need to have conducted a thorough
participant analysis.

Low Density

Although much is said about the “less is more” theory, it is rarely practiced in training.
There is a great deal to indicate that low density training – training which focuses on
fewer learning objectives – is far more effective than training that “covers a lot of
ground.”

A 1984 study by Russell, Hendricson, & Herbert, graphically demonstrates that no
more than 50% of material presented should be new, and that the rest of class time
should be devoted to material or activities designed to reinforce the material in
learners’ minds.

This principle was supported in 1997, when Shadmehr and Holcomb (“Neural
correlates of motor memory consolidation”) illustrated the importance of simplicity in
establishing retention. People who learn and master a skill (A) and then immediately
learn and master a second skill (B), performed poorly when skill A was performed 5
hours later. People who learned a skill (A), waited five hours, learned a second skill
(B), and then waited five hours were able to perform both skills successfully.

Short Modules, Short Classes
It has been shown many times that the average adult attention span in a learning
environment is about 15 minutes, and that modules within a class should not exceed
that time limit. As with the low density principle, studies have also shown that
retention of key learning points does not increase from a full-day to a half-day
program – and can actually decrease depending on the density of the program.

Repetition
Repetition is a key component to moving information from short-term memory to long
term memory.

The Fading Effect
H.F. Spitzer, in his prominent 1939 study on memory retention, demonstrated how
memory fades. He showed how, when information was taught, but unsupported,
recall diminished over time. His research highlighted two clear points: First, that regular reinforcement of information is critical to combat fading. The second is that, even unsupported, a residual portion of information will remain in memory over time. This supports the
theory that the impact of training over time is in fact cumulative.

Atkinson demonstrated in 1968 and Bernbach again in 1971, that memory increases
gradually with successive repetitions. In his “Economics of learning,” P.A.Wozniak
again demonstrated that repetition is important, as is the spacing of repetition.

It is also critical to maintain consistency of message and avoid confusion. Given
Russell, Hendricson, & Herbert’s finding’s that no more than 50% of material should
be new to ensure retention, changes in messaging on a single topic can be counterproductive.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION AND SKILLS SYNTHESIS – CHANGING WHAT WE DO

For a learner to apply the skills in a live environment there are several elements that must be in place. As previously mentioned, simply having a skill does not necessarily translate into using a skill. For example, imagine your employer sent you to clowning school. You have no real interest in becoming a clown, but you were informed that going to the class was mandatory. Chances are, you are not going to automatically start doing your clowning routines in the office, even though you now have the information and knowledge to do so if you wished.

For a skill to become a practice – applied on a consistent basis, there are four key elements that need to be in place:

Motivation:
The more compelling the motivation, the reason for doing it, the more likely the skill will be
applied. Tell the administrator-turned-clown that he’ll get an extra 150/- a week to do his
clowning routines in the office, he would still likely turn it down. However, tell him that if he
doesn’t do it, he will be killed, he may consider it.

Motivation can be internal (eg. pride, integrity, loyalty etc.) or external. External motivators
can include financial incentives, positive reinforcement, contests, etc. The most effective
external motivator is establishing non-negotiable performance standards, and framing those
standards with positive and negative consequences. The standards have to be set and
consistently maintained by a superior. The new behaviour becomes expected, and nothing
less is acceptable or tolerated.

Confidence:
Because the skill is new, people often lack the confidence to make change. The more
confident we are in the veracity of the skills, as well as in our abilities to execute them, the
more comfortable we will be trying them. The clown will be more likely to try a routine if he
is confident that it will be accepted and that he will do it well.

Support:
People will be more likely to continue trying to develop more skills in a live environment
when they are being consistently assisted and encouraged. This requires coaching, and the
attention of direct supervisors. The clown will be more likely to try if he is being encouraged,
and if he knows that there is someone there to provide guidance.

Feedback:
People are more likely to continue an action when they see positive results to the action. This
requires coaching, and continuous feedback. Once the clown has had success, and received
thunderous applause, he might be convinced to do it again.

Stickiness – the permanent transfer of new concepts, and shaping of new behaviours – is created by ensuring that these ten criteria are met. And it only takes one of the criteria to be missing to have a significant negative impact on the stickiness of a training program. The difficulty in attaining stickiness is that the people typically charged with the training rarely, if ever, have control over all of the criteria. A well designed and executed customer service training program, for example, can be marginalized by the absenceof enforced performance standards.

The other challenge is the pressures on H.R. and Training Managers to try and keep people “on the cutting edge.” Many people are reluctant to champion sticky-friendly training because it can be perceived as lacking the forward motion that befits a progressive company. Proposing that you trim your annual training initiatives from a dozen to two is a hard sell. Going back to people with training that covers half of the same learning points as the last two sessions can appear unimaginative and unambitious to senior management. Not plugging in those three or four extra key learning points to fill out a session is a hard temptation to resist. Intentions to move away from full-day training to half-day training easily falls victim to the “that’s the
format we always use” syndrome.

Maximizing training stickiness requires buy-in to the ten criteria at all levels within an organization. It requires a clear, consistent and committed focus to singular training goals. It means planning training with overlapping skills – ie. your Dealing with Difficult Customer training program should also reinforce the skills of the Customer Service campaign introduced six months earlier. It requires diligence and follow-through at application level. Like an automobile engine, each moving part must work both independently and interdependently toward a common goal.

TNA Approach

The following information provides us an overall view of the training needs of the company that we are looking forward to service through our training. The questions are not necessarily exhaustive, but give you broad directions to understanding the objectives; the expectations; the current trainings methods if any; knowledge or performance gaps that necessitated the need for a training program…

When looking for training needs, or when problems arise, there are several instruments that may be used to locate the actual symptoms.

Some of these needs assessment instruments are:

Surveys: Send out written questioners
Observations: Watch the job or task being performed.
Group Discussions: Lead a group discussion composed of employees and their supervisors.
Interviews: Talk to supervisors, managers, Subject Matter Experts (SME), and employees.
Literature research: Analyze budget documents, quality control documents, goal statements, evaluation reports, scheduling and staffing reports, or other documents for existing problems

Business Objectives

What organizational goal is driving this training?
What will the benefit or ROI be?
What is the skill gap?
What competencies (knowledge, skills, or attitudes) will this program deliver?
What factor or evaluation will be used to measure the level of goal achievement?

Target Population

Who will be trained?
What is the estimated class size?
How many classes will there be and how long will this training last?What are the knowledge and skill prerequisites?

Type of Training

What type of program is being proposed?

What media will be employed?

Alternatives

What will happen if we do not delivering the training?
What are the restrictions or limitations for delivering a program?
What other methods may be used to reach the goal (include limitations and advantages)?
To further help you in your training need analysis, you may choose to ask from the following set of questions:

Inputs from Management/Supervisors:

What are your employees doing that they shouldn't be doing?
What specific things would you like to see your people do, but don't?
When you envision workers performing this job properly, what do you see them doing?
What prevents you from performing a prescribed task to standards?
Are job aids available and if so, are they accurate? Are they being used?
Are the standards reasonable? If not, why?
What subject would you like to see your workers trained on? What would you like to be trained on?

Background of Proposed Learners:

What is their average education level?
Are they freshers experienced? If experienced, whats the average years of work experience they have?
How long are they employed with the company?
What is the expected number of participants in a group?
What are the Job requirements verses learner’s skills?
What are the motivations of the learners?

Profiling the Job:

What is the job description?
What are the basic proficiency levels required to perform the job? (Knowledge, Skills & Attitude required)
Are there any specific demands that the job makes on the employees? (Night shifts, target based selling, working at stretch etc.)
What are the various tasks required to be performed in the job (Routine and functional)?
What is the frequency of the job?
What is the amount of training required to reach the proficiency desired?
What is the criticality of the job?

In-house knowledge transfer process (Alternatives):

How much of on the job training is provided for this group?
Are there any Job aids available?
Are there any intranet/CBT tools available for the learner for reference?
Are there any instructional manuals available?
What are the best practices in the center to transfer tacit knowledge (Knowledge residing with colleague, supervisor etc.)? Are there weekly meets, help desk?

What does it mean?

Have participants get in groups of 3 to 5 participants. Tell them that they are to "draw a picture of quality." Remind them that art expertise does not count and they may not use any words. Give them 5 to 10 minutes.

Have each group hang their flip chart drawing and ask the other groups to guess what their drawing represents. Then allow the group that drew the picture to explain the intricacies of their drawing. Continue hanging each group’s drawing, guessing, and explaining.

Wrap up the activity by summarizing the key element of quality that you plan to discuss in more detail in the class.

Note: You will find that the ideas represented will be markedly similar, though the pictures will be different.

Note: What Does “It” Look Like is a frame game, so replace "quality" with "leadership," "team," "change," etc. to reflect the topic of your class.

Options: Do this as part of your introduction and just add a few more minutes to allow participants to introduce themselves while working in their table groups. Then have them introduce themselves to the larger group when presenting their flip chart drawing.

Think about it..

1. Performance experts make the best trainers.

We’ve all known experts who have had a difficult time explaining the very thing they know how to do so well. Part of becoming an expert entails consolidating what we know. This however can cause an expert to skip over the details. And the details are important to new learners.

Instructing on the other hand is really more about having a concern or understanding of where your learners are at rather than simply imparting what you know. Learners, of course, must also be motivated to learn. So the ability to relate to and engage your learners is an important part of the process.

As individuals, our instinct is always to protect and promote ourselves within our own environment. So it is not surprising that when placed in front of an audience and handed the microphone we are not tempted to first establish ourselves by telling everything we know. But good trainers are confident enough in what they know, to stop, ask questions, and listen.

I met a fellow the other day over lunch that was very knowledgeable on many different subjects. He did not hesitate to tell you all he knew, however, as soon as the conversation shifted to another speaker, his head turned from the table, his eyes wondering across the room, as if it was absolute torture for him to listen to another speaker for even a single moment. Unfortunately, as it turns out, this self absorbed individual was, yes, you guessed it, a teacher.

2. People process information differently, so it is important to determine individual learning preferences and incorporate these into your teaching style.

This is sort of true. For example some of us prefer to process information delivered to us through our hearing verses received visually. Some enjoy processing data that is delivered to us sequentially, or in small bits rather than having to engage in complex reasoning or problem solving. It would be difficult however in a classroom setting to determine individual learning preferences, and impossible to tailor a program that would meet and match each individual's learning style. Our best alternative is to ensure that we offer a sort of mixed bag and incorporate many different learning methods to help people to assimilate the learning.

3. The more enjoyable the instruction the greater the level of learning achieved.

You’d think a guy like me, who develops training games, would really come down on the side of this particular myth. It turns out however that enjoyment in and of itself does not directly correlate to better learning. Learning is hard work and "effort in" naturally correlates to positive results.

Trainers often get rave reviews when the training is made fun. Participants comment that the class was great because they enjoyed the review game at the end of the class, but they really did not learn much. Often our customers are looking for something that will "spice up" the learning experience. They may have tried a game at one time or another and found their class loved it. Games are fun, but if not done correctly, can be tantamount to tossing the baby out with the bath water.

It is great to play a game and have your group energized as they answer true/false and multiple choice questions to try and win. But imagine using these moments when people become energized and interested to inject some additional learning. To learn you need first to be attentive. Games are great attention grabbers. I am simply suggesting stopping the game for a moment and giving learners an opportunity to think about, discuss, and explore the learning. We have tried to design games that allow trainers to train while playing the game. In most games after the question is asked or answered the trainer has the opportunity to expound on the topic by introducing additional information (perhaps a mini- PowerPoint presentation) or a training exercise. In this way the game can be used to deliver new information rather than just a review piece. The process of capturing a participant’s attention and then providing them a means of assimilating the information is key to successful learning.

Who are you?

Organizations think that acronyms are bad…try figuring out what to call yourself and your department or even your company when it comes to "training."

All right, do you call yourself a Trainer, a Facilitator, an Instructional Designer, a Developer, a Presenter, a Performance Specialist, a Performance Enhancement Coach, a Keynote Speaker….and on and on? And do you call the department that you work in the Training Department, the Organizational Change Unit, the Performance Effectiveness Department, the Organizational and Development Department? Again, you get my drift.

Here are some of the words used to describe "me:"

Consultant Course Designer Courseware Developer Curriculum Designer Custom Training Designer Customized Training Designer Educator Facilitator Instructional Designer

Instructional Systems Designer Instructional Writer Instructor Technical Writer Trainer Training Consultant Training Designer Training Developer

Here are some of the words used to describe what I "do:"

Blended Learning Corporate Development Corporate Training Course Design Courseware Development Curriculum Design Custom Training Design Customized Training Design Education Employee Development Employee Training

Facilitating Facilitator Training Instruction Instructional Design Instructional Systems Design Interactive Training Learning Team Development Train the Trainer Training Training Course Development

Here are some of the words used for the "materials I create:"

Business Education Material Business Training Material Facilitation Guides Facilitator Guides Facilitator Kits Facilitator Materials Facilitator Manuals Instruction Manuals Instructional Manuals Instructional Guides Instructor Guides Instructor Manuals

Instructor Materials Management Guides Modules Training Courses Training Guides Training Manuals Training Materials Training Modules Training Packages Training Programs Training Resources

I thought originally I’d try to define and distinguish between some of these words…and then I gave up. How do you even begin to define, distinguish, and describe the various terms you find in this article? Needless to say, I’m not interested in writing a “thesis.”

So, the moral of this story is…just call me…anything…okay, within reason. But call me if you need me, or need a referral to someone who can assist you.

Benefits of e-Learning

e-Learning has definite benefits over traditional classroom training. While the most obvious are the flexibility and the cost savings from not having to travel or spend excess time away from work, there are also others that might not be so obvious. For example:
It's less expensive to produce – Once your asynchronous training programs have been developed, e-Learning is virtually free once you reach the break-even point. Synchronous programs will have continued costs associated with the instructor managing the class, but will still be lower than traditional courses.

It's self-paced - Most e-Learning programs can be taken when needed. The e-courses you set up allow the learner to go through smaller chunks of training that can be used and absorbed for a while before moving on.

e-Learning courses progress up to 50 percent faster than traditional courses. This is partly because the individualized approach allows learners to skip material they already know and understand and move onto the issues they need training on.

It provides a consistent message - e-Learning eliminates the problems associated with different instructors teaching slightly different material on the same subject. For company-based training, this is often critical.

It can work from any location and any time - e-Learners can go through training sessions from anywhere, usually at anytime. This Just-In-Time (JIT) benefit can make learning possible for people who never would have been able to work it into their schedules prior to the development of e-Learning. (If you manage a corporate learning program, however, be careful about requesting that workers learn on their own time from home.)

It can be updated easily and quickly - Online e-Learning sessions are especially easy to keep up-to-date because the updated materials are simply uploaded to a server. CD-ROM-based programs may be slightly more expensive to update and distribute, but still come out cheaper than reprinting manuals and retraining instructors.

It can lead to increased retention and a stronger grasp on the subject - This is because of the many elements that are combined in e-Learning to reinforce the message, such as video, audio, quizzes, interaction, etc. There is also the ability to revisit or replay sections of the training that might not have been clear the first time around. Try that in a crowded auditorium!

It can be easily managed for large groups of students – Learning Management Systems (LMS) allow corporate training directors, HR managers and others to keep track of the course offerings, schedule or assign training for employees and track their progress and results. Managers can review a student's scores and identify any areas that need additional training.

The Impact of Emotional Intelligence on Training

Imagine this: you have been planning this big training event for your organization’s leadership team for weeks now. You are psyched! You’ve done your homework--everything is running smoothly, and you’re confident that it should go off without a hitch. The morning of the event, you arrive early to set up your equipment. But something’s wrong! You can’t get the laptop to synch with the projector. Time is ticking away, the participants are arriving and the pressure is building.

Do you:

a) Explode – yelling an angry tirade at everyone in your path, running around like crazy, blaming the equipment, until someone finally helps you figure it out...

b) Internally berate and blame yourself – tell yourself that these things NEVER work out right for you! Call yourself every name in the book! If only you’d been more prepared! Even though the problem gets resolved, you never recover your composure and the workshop is a failure...

c) Hang your head in shame and frustration--you’re positive that everyone is looking at you and laughing at your incompetence...

d) Realize that you’re feeling out of control and about to go off the deep end (which is not productive), count to 10, take a deep breath--reassess the set up and find your mistake. The workshop is wildly successful!

If you answered a, b or c, it is quite possible that you have been the victim of an "emotional hijacking" incident! While this scenario may seem a bit dramatic and overblown to you, the truth is that thousands of people in the workplace become overrun by their intense emotions on a daily basis.

The good news is that we can train our brains to respond effectively to our emotions. Emotional intelligence (which dictates how we behave in social situations and make mental decisions to achieve positive results) is a flexible skill that can be practiced, literally strengthening the bond in your brain between the centers that control your feelings and your reason--making you more successful!

If you can honestly choose option d above, you realize the importance of consistently utilizing critical self-awareness and self-management skills to be the best trainer you can be. And that’s why EQ has been proven to be a driving force in the $40 billion training and development industry!

What are some behaviors that you use to master your self-awareness, self-management, social awareness or relationship management in the training environment?

Ladies First?

The old courtesy about letting 'The Ladies' go first was helpful, especially on burning ships. But in the corporate world, it seldom applied, especially when it included the acquisition of global roles. In a variation on the idea that a woman's place is in the home, some companies believe the corporate woman's place is strictly in domestic business affairs. Whether it's a matter of the majority of female execs still too low on company totem poles to have "earned" positions managing a global workforce, or something more sinister, propelling females in global companies to posts overseas is the next challenge. In a global age, companies that tout themselves as "diverse" need to think in worldwide terms when building their demographically-diverse workforces.

Giving 'global' companies the benefit of the doubt that it's not just a case of old fashioned prejudice, what are some other reasons for the disparity? In addition to women just recently rising to the pool of workers that gets considered for global roles, could the family-oriented perspective of many women be a hindrance? Men also have families, but women are the ones who typically compromise their career ascendancy if the spouse doesn't want to move overseas, or it wouldn't be the right time to relocate the children. With that in mind, what can companies do to ease these familial concerns? To convince women it's okay to assert their ambition to their family, arm them with information about American ex-patriate communities in the country you propose to send them to, including English-speaking schools their children could attend and strategies--including telecommunication--that might help transition spouses overseas professionally.

At first glance, the reason more 'global' companies don't have adequate representation of women abroad is a case of not enough females at global levels, or family obligations, but these are shoddy arguments. There are still more men than women at the top ranks of companies, and women often are more attuned to the needs of their families than men, but in the end it comes down to a need for culture change. Trainers need to teach up-and-coming women in leadership develop programs that's okay to assert global career ambition to their families. Men have up-rooted wives and children for years in pursuit of career gold, so what's the difference? Why can't women now do the same? No guilt required.

The burning ship privileges of the days of yore were great. Now that (some) women have swum to the top of global companies, could we also get a push forward when there's no fire and imminent drowning involved?

So, which of you have been taught to say you work for a 'global company?' Can female execs be included in that boast, or do you still believe a woman's place is in the home office?

What a CEO Wants

Probably not as exciting as 'what a girl wants,' but you and your employees should still take note. However, as your CEO drones on (and on and on) in the next company-wide conference call, you probably won't hear what he or she really wants.

With CEOs of major corporations raking in up to $100 million in bonuses contingent on meeting corporate profit goals, I guess we can deduce that what they really want is more money--and not in the company coffers--direct deposited into their bank accounts.

It's a sinister view of everyone's favorite CEO, the one who pops by low-level employee cubicles to spread the love with Dunkin Donut munchkins and out-of-the-box coffee. Some seem pretty warm, I must admit. But the through-the-roof salaries of prominent CEOs is a problem. It's demoralizing to entry and mid-level staffers who struggle to bring home $30,000 or $40,000 a year, those who are told the company doesn't have the budget to hire extra help to relieve them, or boost their salary more than 1 or 2 percent a year. As companies struggle to bring home the greenbacks, maybe they should re-think those hefty salaries at the top before shaving more off the bottom. Wondering where your profit is going? How about the multi-million dollar salaries paid to your top-level tier?

What could possibly be worth $100 million in year-end bonus cash? No one person's strategy is going to boost your company's profitability, so why is one person, or just the relatively small pool of his/her direct reports, benefiting?

To boost employee enthusiasm for corporate goals, ask new CEOs to submit a laundry list of top priorities, a kind of Santa-list of productivity wishes for employees to tack up to their cubicle wall. Then, have workers hold the big guy/gal accountable for following through. In quarterly, company-wide meetings, use those priorities as a reference point for discussion. As it stands now, all your workforce may know about your leader is his/her hefty salary, and the choice location of his/her office (when he/she's there and not stuck in gourmet catered "strategy" sessions).

Does your company already do this? CEOs usually address employees on their own every once in a while to note achievement or ask for help with an upcoming initiative, but how clear are their top priorities? If your CEO's salary is an embarrassing contrast to the salaries of your low and mid-level workers (the ones who will do the bulk of the grunt work to carry out "The Strategy"), publicizing specific goals is especially important.

How much it cost to get them here--their lust for acquiring ever-vaster stores of personal wealth--isn't enough. We need to know why they'd still be inspired to lead a company, regardless of the exorbitant pay. If they wouldn't, do we really want them?

What does your CEO want? How do you know he/she wants it? And, what is the company doing about it?

Vikram

Vikram stared through the dirty soot-smeared window on the14th floor of the office tower. Overcome with depression he slid the window open and jumped through it. It was a sheer drop outside the building to the ground. Miraculously after he landed he was completely unhurt. Since there was nothing to cushion his fall or slow his descent, how could he have survived the fall?

B,C,D

B

Blended training
A combination of instructional approaches in training. Examples include combining technology-based materials and traditional print materials, group and individual study, structured pace study and self-paced study, tutorial and coaching.

Brainstorming

Sharing ideas among participants as soon as they are generated. The key to brainstorming is not to interrupt the thought process. As ideas come to the mind, they are captured and stimulate the development of better ideas.

C

Case study

An account of a real or fictitious problem situation provided to learners to analyze the problem involved and to suggest the solution.

Cognitive learning

Acquisition of information and concepts that involves mental processes of knowledge (recognition and recall of information), comprehension (interpreting and summarizing information), application (using information in a different situation), analysis (separating whole into parts), synthesis (combining elements into whole), and evaluation (decision making based on criteria or rationale).

Computer based training (CBT) and CD-ROM
Instructional experience between a computer and a participant.

Competency
The ability of a person to perform successfully in a job. A competency can include knowledge, attitudes, skills, values, or personal values.

Critical Incident
An instructional method in which learners are asked to recall a real-life experience they have had in a specific area of focus and describe it in detail.

Curriculum

The content (the material to be learned) and process of learning (the actions and resources involved in training and learning).

D

Debriefing
An instructional method that occurs after learners have conducted an activity and provided their answers or solutions. In debriefing, learners reflect on what they did in the activity and what it meant.

Deliverables

Any measurable, tangible, and verifiable output that must be produced to complete the project.

Delivery method

The way in which training is distributed to learners. Classroom, video, CD-ROM, and the web-based training are all sample delivery methods.

Demonstration
An instructional method in which a procedure, technique, or operation is performed so that learners can observe it and then perform it later.

Descriptive statistics
A branch of statistics that describes or summarizes a set of data.

Design
The second phase of the ADDIE model of instructional system design process. Design involves creating the blueprint of the training program, determining what and how should be learned.

Development phase
The third phase of the ADDIE model of instructional system design process. Development includes the production of training materials and their testing.

A bus driver

A bus driver was heading down a street in New Delhi. He went right past a stop sign without stopping, he turned left where there was a "no left turn" sign, and he went the wrong way on a one-way street. Then he went on the left side of the road past a police car. Still - he didn't break any traffic laws. Why not?

Change Management

Team Productivity Consultants Ltd [TPCL]

Change ManagementVery few, if any, companies are immune from change these days. Sometimes the change is organic and people hardly notice it happening. More often, however, change is initiated because businesses have to respond to external pressures and constraints as well as internal ones. Most companies are either preparing for change, in the middle of managing change or just simply having a hard time recovering from some previous change. Wherever you are with managing change helping your people is essential. Most change programmes fail because nobody looks at the emotional fallout and the effect on people's lives.

If you know there is a danger of productivity dipping because morale is about to plummet in the face of imposed change, then giving people support is the single best investment you could make to sustain and develop your changing business. Change is constant. Change is good for you. Too much change is bad for you. We need change to keep us stimulated and creative - Yet we need stability and routine to make us feel safe. A bit contradictory, no? How much change we have or whether change is good or bad for us is irrelevant; far more important is Change Management, how we deal with and cope with change.

Good Change Management needs key people within your organisation to develop the skill and insight that will make a difference to the way things happen around them. In order to manage change in others you need first to examine how you got to be who you are, define your communication resources and investigate your personal beliefs and values. This Change Management Programme covers the effect of rules, assumptions, patterns, the roles people play and conflicting ways of thinking and perceiving. It includes advanced interpersonal skills for greater insight into yourself and others.

Our Change Management Training deals head on with the challenge of change. You will create a personal leadership strategy that will motivate, persuade and inspire those around you.

Hero Mindmine - Tailored Training

Team Productivity Consultants Ltd [TPCL]

Tailored training for corporate groups

We will create and develop totally tailored programmes on any interpersonal skills issue you have.

Relevant, in-depth, delightful and immediately useful programmes for small groups; dynamic, energetic, entertaining, but equally relevant programmes for large groups, our tailored courses are designed to suit you to a T.

As our clients' needs change, so does our repertoire of courses: they expand to fit those changing needs. This is one of our greatest assets - that we have a group of people and a body of work capable of addressing any issue where people have to communicate better with other people.

Glasses

A man is nearly blind without his glasses, so when a gust of wind knocks them from his head, he is forced to pull his car over to the side of the road. Twenty minutes later he pulls back on the road and continues on his way. He couldn't find his glasses and didn't have any replacements, so how did he manage to drive?

A

Action maze

A case study with programmed steps. Learners receive enough information to take them to their first decision point. The decision then takes them to the next frame, which explains the consequence of their decision. This process is continued until the maze has been completed.

Action verb
A word that conveys action/behaviors that are measurable and observable.

Active learning

Active learning is acquiring new information, skills, and attitudes from doing. Active learning continuously involves learners in doing, discussing, and reflecting through games, simulations, role playing, and other active learning activities.

ADDIE

Classic model of an instructional system design process that includes the steps analysis, design, development, implementation, and evaluation, from which the acronym is taken.

Analysis
The first phase of the ADDIE model of instructional system design process. Its purpose is to identify the training need and gather information about the training program and its participants.

Assessment
The process of measuring and documenting knowledge, skills, attitudes and beliefs.

Asynchronous training
Training that does not require the learner and instructor to participate at the same time.
Attitudes

A disposition towards a certain idea, object, person, or situation that is revealed through the person's opinions and beliefs and is based upon his or her experiences.

Audience
The intended end-user population of a training program.

ADDIE - Evaluation

Evaluation is usually time consuming, costly, and difficult to implement. Why then evaluate?
Reasons for Evaluation

There are many reasons for conducting evaluation.

Evaluation ensures continuous quality improvement.

Evaluation demonstrates the value of the training.

Evaluation determines whether the training met the established training objectives.

There are various groups of people interested in evaluation.

Participants want to be aware of their progress or they may be interested in evaluation for certification purposes.

Trainers need evaluation to improve the program for the next round of delivery.

Managers want to know whether learners gained any new knowledge or skills that will lead them to greater efficiency on the job.

Org will wish to know whether the training was worth the money spent and whether more funding is needed.

Other agencies would like to see the effect of the training in order to replicate it.

Food for thought.

A large ornate and colorful chair appears in a jungle clearing. Eyes peer from the surrounding jungle at this object.

First to approach was a man who had never seen such an object before. He circled the chair and cautiously reached out and stroked the chair. After a period of time he reached into his pouch and pulled out his most prized possession and placed it before the chair. He then raced off to tell his friends of his discovery.

Next to appear was a cat who carefully circled the chair and after finding no disturbing odors leapt up and lay down on the chair's soft cushion and dozed in the sun. After a time it jumped down and went hunting.

An explorer came upon the chair and knew what it was and promptly approached and sat down. They glanced around curiously and wondered how it arrived. Then having places to go; got up and left.
A

short time later an old bull elephant rambled into the clearing heading straight for the fruit of the jackfruit tree on the opposite side. On the way he crushed the chair under his foot.

Which perception was right?

Reality means different things depending on our perception.

We take actions dependent on our understanding. We need to understand this when we don't understand the actions of someone else.

What If

To get your group laughing and talking right off the bat, start your session with a quick game of “What If”.

Directions: Give each participant a small piece of paper. Ask them to write a “What if” question, such as “What if the sky was purple?” or “What if we all had three arms?”.

When everyone has completed their question (encourage them to work quickly), ask them to pass their question to the person on their right.

Next, each person writes the answer to the question they've received. They should answer the question as if they had written it. For example, if Ragina hands his question (“What if I won the lottery?”) to Madhuri, she should answer the question as if she had won the lottery, not Ragina.

When everyone has written their answer, select someone to read ONLY the question they have in front of them. Ask the person to their right to read the ANSWER to their question. They should then read the question on their paper and the person to their right reads the answer, etc.

Even though the questions and answers are unrelated, you'll find some hilarious combinations!

Materials/Time Needed: For a group of 15-20 people, this exercise will take about 10-15 minutes.

No advance preparation is required, but you'll need pens or pencils and note paper.

The illiterate

The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.

ADDIE - Implementation

Implementation phase deals with training delivery.

This is a fun part of the process. T

his is what most trainers love about their job - the thrill of interacting with a group of learners and watching them learn and grow.

However, this is also the part of the process where real-life problems endanger the success of the training: learners' late arrivals, noisy training room, equipment failure.

Have a sound implementation plan and training delivery strategies ready to help you avoid pitfalls while delivering the training program.

Implementation Tasks

Task 1. Develop implementation plan.

Task 2. Conduct training program using training delivery strategies.

ADDIE - Develop

At this point you have a complete design plan of your training program. What remains is to create training materials, try them out, make any necessary revisions, and have them ready for implementation.

The Development phase is where the training program turns into a tangible product.

The key tasks of this phase are to:

Develop lesson plans: written "advance organizers" for the delivery of lessons by the trainer.

Develop support materials, anything that supports and supplements a training session: workbooks, handouts, overhead transparencies, slides, computer presentations, demonstration props, media equipment, and administrative materials.

Develop evaluation instruments: quizzes, tests, ratings, checklists, and other evaluation tools.

Review and revise the materials and the training program.

Further in this section, you will learn about:

Major components of a lesson plan

Guidelines for creating support materials, such as print materials, transparencies, and slides

Guidelines for developing a quiz

Ways to review a training program and materials.

Experience

Experience can be either a good or bad teacher.

The Good:

It can allow us to make better choices; that is, learn from our experience. Examples come easily to mind such as learning a task or skill. It can teach us what to avoid or what to pay attention to.

The Bad:

It can limit us is in what we allow to be possible for ourselves. We tried something and we had a bad experience. We hesitate to take a new opportunity because it is similar to one that in the past didn't work out for us.

We have a great desire to eliminate problems because when we have no problems by default then we would be happy. The higher the emotional level attached to the experience the more we classify it as black or white.

If we more closely examine our experiences we might find that they are usually a mixture of good and bad. Wisdom could be said to be when we realize that everything is shades of gray depending on our perceptions.

"Live out of your imagination, not your history."

Learn from our experiences but don't allow them to dictate a future less than we could have.

ADDIE - Design

The purpose of the Design phase is to create a blueprint of the training program.

The blueprint will allow the trainer to have a framework around which the training content, learning activities, learning materials, and other components of the training program will be built.

The Design phase involves the following tasks:

Set learning goals and objectives.

Organize the content.

Select training delivery methods.

Select instructional methods.

Plan evaluation.

The final product of the Design phase is the Design Plan

ADDIE - Analyze

Imagine a situation: you have come to see a physician because the pain in your back is bothering you.

What do you think will happen before you receive medical treatment?

Most likely, you will have to complete a long medical history form. The nurse will conduct an initial medical examination (your blood pressure, weight, and other medical tests). Then the physician will ask you specific questions about your pain, concerns, habits, life style, etc. Before finalizing his or her diagnosis, the physician may refer you to another specialist or recommend more lab work be done.

The purpose of all these steps is to understand your health problem in order to serve you better and deliver the treatment you need. You would not want your physician to prescribe you a medication without even listening to you, would you?

What do you think should be your first step when you are requested to prepare and conduct a training session?

Similarly to the physician, you should start the development of a training program with analyzing the concerns and needs of those who will benefit from this training.

Thinking Box

I love finding out new things, perspectives, authors, theories, odd facts and miscellaneous trivia. Everything I learn about changes my thinking box.

What we know is like a box. It has specific limits defined by our knowledge. It is not the total of all knowledge but we can unknowingly use our box as if it were.

We define things by the words we use. If we have no words then we have to lump our experience into something we already know about. We define our problems from our thinking box and our solutions.

We do that when we simply write out or state our problem to our self. We cannot state what we don't know. Nor can we look for solutions outside of our knowledge unless we realize that fact.
Now without a doubt there are problems that we can solve with our knowledge or by looking at solutions provided by others who answer the same defined problem. But if we are stuck then we need a different approach.

We need to know what we don't know.

By understanding the limits of our thinking box in our ability to define the problem and/or solutions then we can look for more knowledge. Whatever we learn increases the size of our box and therefore increases the possibilities of new definitions for the problem or new solutions or both.

How do you change your thinking box?

How to Help Adults Learn

Understanding the way adults learn has tremendous implications for designing training experiences for adults.

Adult learners need to be prepared for a training program (receive the information on the training, have realistic expectations, and get ready for participation).
A training program for adults should establish a climate conducive to their learning (relaxing, trustful, mutually respectful, warm, informal, collaborative, supportive).

Adult learners need help to carry out their learning plans.

Adult participants need to be involved in the training design process:
Planning a training program
Establishing their learning needs
Building learning objectives
Designing learning plans
Evaluating learning outcomes.

Peter Drucker

Peter F Drucker
Born 1909

Peter F Drucker is an internationally acclaimed management writer, consultant and lecturer. His management and organisation theories are based on over 60 years experience.

Drucker on Management

• Effective management is based on objective setting and results

• Scientific management is required• “One cannot manage change. One can only be ahead of it”

Drucker on People

• Knowledge workers are assets

• High quality personnel management is required

• Educate and develop managers for future needs.

Drucker on Organisations

• Decentralisation is key to productivity and effectiveness.

• Aim for leaner organisations

• Successful decision making based on high quality information• Focus on information not technology provider

Elton Mayo

Elton Mayo - Human Relations Theory
1880 – 1949

Elton Mayo was an Australian interested in employee motivation and commitment and the relationship between workers and management. Mayo’s best known work was the Hawthorne Study in the Western Electrical Company in the USA, and the development of the “human relations” approach to management.

The Western Electrical Company Study

In the Western Electrical Company study, Elton Mayo observed that worker productivity depended less on lighting conditions in the work area than on the workers perception that management were interested in them. Mayo proposed that higher productivity could be gained by good communication and emotional connection between workers and management.
This was a change from Frederick W Taylor’s theory of scientific management, where management’s role was to meet organisational goals. Time and motion studies and piecework pay would increase productivity to a point, however further increases could only be gained by meeting the individual worker’s needs.Satisfaction comes from recognition and security

Elton Mayo believed that work satisfaction was based on recognition, security, and being part of a team, over and above monetary rewards.

He raised awareness of the need for management to be more involved with workers at an individual emotional level. This change in thinking gave birth to the “human relations” approach to management.

Maslow

Abraham Maslow - Hierarchy of Needs
1908 – 1970

Abraham Maslow was an American psychologist best known for his theory of the “hierarchy of needs”.

Maslow's five (human) needs stack in layers to form a pyramid, with physiological needs at the base and self-actualization at the peak. This is the hierarchy of needs. Deficit (instinctoid) needs i.e. only become important and noticed if not being met. Genetically programmed “instinct” needs.

Physiological needs – include eating, sleeping, having sex and all other bodily functions
Safety and security needs – with physiological needs met, there is an increased need for a safe environment, stability and protection.

Love and belonging needs – the third layer of needs relates to the need for friends, intimate partner, family and sense of community

Esteem needs – lower esteem needs includes respect from others in terms of attention, recognition, reputation, and status. Higher esteem needs include self-respect, confidence, achievement, and freedom. Higher esteem needs are harder to meet than lower esteem needs, but harder to lose.

Abraham Maslow asserted that asking people about their “philosophy of the future” will reveal which deficit needs are being met or not met. Being needs/growth motivation needs can only be met when all deficit needs are met.

Self-actualization – the continuous desire to fulfill potential “be all that you can be”. This can be broken-down into “meta needs” such as truth, beauty, justice, effortlessness etc and if not met “meta pathologies” such as depression, despair and alienation develop.

Trainers - Learn to take feedback

Giving or receiving feedback can be hard, but of the two, receiving feedback can be harder.

Whether you get a sinking feeling in your stomach or a raging bull in your head, receiving job performance feedback is never easy. Unless you know how.

Here are 7 tips for receiving feedback gracefully, allowing you to learn from it and quickly move

1. Do Welcome Constructive Feedback

Your powers of self-perception only go so far. People around you notice things, both good and bad, which you don’t and you might learn from their input. There is a “virtuous circle” of feedback whereby the more you actively seek it out, the less you can hide bad behaviour, and generally your feedback is better. E-bay seller feedback is an excellent example of a transparent feedback process, encouraging positive behaviours.

2. Don’t Justify Your Position

Telling the person why they’re feedback is wrong will not work. Ever. Arguing, justifying your position or denial are all powerful negative emotions, making the conversation more challenging than it need be. The only way for the conversation to go is downhill, with tempers flaring and insults flying

3. Do Accept Feedback At Face Value

Although the feedback might feel like a personal insult, challenging your whole identity, keep some perspective. The feedback relates to specific instances, in one part of your life AND now you know about it, you have the opportunity to do something about it.

4. Don't Ruminate On Feedback

Only cows need ruminate before they digest. Chewing over feedback again and again will not make it clearer or easier to understand, particularly if the feedback is less than glowing. Avoid the temptation to re-enact the conversation to a friend as this only makes you feel ten times worse. Do talk about it with someone else, but make sure you’re emotionally detached first.

5. Do Evaluate Feedback Before Responding

Feedback often tells you more about the person saying it than it does about you. For example, a person who says you never praise their work might have difficulty evaluating their work themselves.

6. Don’t Throw Your Toys From The Table

Sulking, stonewalling or withdrawing from the person giving the feedback is childish. If need be, give yourself some space from the person, allowing you to calm down and deal with the feedback, and person, as a rational adult.

7. Do Make Your Choice How To Use The Feedback

Feedback can be a gift allowing you to grow and develop as a person, in a job or in a relationship. But some feedback is downright useless and best ignored. Yes, ignored. It is ultimately your choice how to act, or not, upon feedback received.

For example, you receive internal customer feedback saying you don’t do “x” and they think you should. You’ve actually spent some time considering “x”, and it’s simply not cost effective. How about thanking them for the feedback, letting them know the history and asking how else you could meet their needs. Chances are they will be happy enough, and go off not noticing that you didn’t respond directly to their feedback.

Giving or receiving feedback, in particular job performance feedback, can be an emotional roller-coaster if you let it be. Learn how to receive feedback gracefully, giving you the emotional headspace to learn and grow from the experience

Hammer

This activity is good to introduce a topic

Group Size: 6 to 24

Estimated Time: 5 minutes

Participants compare the "tools" they learned about in the session to the drawings of real tools on an activity sheet.

Use this activity to gain closure on an informative or skill-building session. Ask participants to list tools, then make analogies.

Create a sheet with a column of hardware tools next to a column of business tools and ask participants to match each hardware tool with a business tool, and then explain their matches.

Give each group one of the tools to create analogies for. Use the tools for a grouping activity in the beginning of the session.

Constructive feedback

Use this activity to introduce a Topic

Group Size 6 to 12

Estimated Time 3 to 6 minutes

Props: A Box; 30 pieces of paper

Your participants will value the benefits of constructive feedback as they try to accomplish a goal that is not possible without feedback from their peers. It works best with a small group of people who can all participate.

Use it at any time in a program to introduce the value of feedback. Conceptual thinkers will make the most of the activity if you ask them to draw conclusions; concrete thinkers will appreciate the experiential demonstration.

Instructions: Ask for one volunteer. When that person comes forward, position the volunteer in a standing position and place an empty cardboard box somewhere behind him or her, but not directly behind.

Place the 30 pieces of paper within reach of the volunteer.

Explain to the group that their job is to give clues to the volunteer that will help him or her to throw the wads into the cardboard box without turning around. Give examples of clues such as, "A little further to the left."

Begin the activity. About halfway through the activity, remind the volunteer of some of the clues given. Ask which one were actually helpful and why that was true. Keep the activity going until the volunteer has successfully thrown three wads into the cardboard box.

Ask the group to describe what is true about feedback based on what occurred in the exercise.

Variation: If you have fewer than seven people and more than five minutes, ask them all to stand in a square and do the activity for each person, one at a time.

Debrief: Feedback was expected and welcome. One person could not make the goal in a timely manner without hearing other perspectives and suggestions. When the goal was accomplished, everyone participated in enjoying the success.

Peculiarities

This activity can be used at any time during a short or long session, with participants who know one another well or with complete strangers, to introduce the topic of diversity.

Group Size: 12 to 60

Estimated Time: 2 to 5 minutes

What you need: Peculiarities Activity Sheet for leader; simple prizes such as candy, stickers, or pens.

Instructions

Ask participants to stand.

Explain that the object of the activity is to discover peculiarities in the group.

Tell participants that you will read items from a list, one at a time.

Ask them to come forward to receive a prize if they have that peculiarity.

As a variation pass out the list to participants and ask them to fill it out individually, then find others in the room who have marked the same categories.

Include some categories that you know apply to more than one person.

Tips: Keep this quick and fun.

Add peculiarities to the list relating to organizational quirks or norms, or add specific peculiarities that you know about people in the group.

Peculiarities activity sheet

1. Was born on February 29.
2. Has or had a dog named munnu, baby, Lucky, or tommy.
3. Is wearing an article of clothing that was chosen and purchased by someone else.
4. Is wearing a family dress.
5. Drives a car more than five years old.
6. Competes in sporting events such as running, skiing, etc.
7. Likes pizza with rum.
8. Volunteers for charity fund drives.
9. Was born in another state.
10. Was born in another country.
11. Has won a prize chasing a bull.
12. Has been to thengapatnam.
13. Writes songs or poetry.
14. Has an organized, clean desk.
15. Has a twin brother or sister.
16. Has a shoe size of 12 or greater.
17. Has milked a cow.
18. Has been to the top of the Qutub Minar.
19. Collects stamps or other collectibles.
20. Had a bath in soda.
21. Has been to a concert in the last month.
22. Has five or more siblings.
23. Prefers winter to summer.
24. Has been on a radio or TV show. 2
5. Restores old cars or trucks.
26. Has won a prize or money in a mall.

All Aboard

This activity works well with complete strangers;

Groups of 20 or More; Pure Fun;

Outdoors Group Size 20 to 100

Level of Physical Activity High

Estimated Time 5 to 8 minutes

Props Two balloons per person of varying colors (one color per group);

one permanent magic marker per group of six to twenty.

Participants will enjoy forming a "train" and picking up passengers.

This activity encourages team behaviors and creativity. Use it when you have three to sixty minutes in open space when you want people to be very active.

Instructions Distribute deflated balloons of varying colors around the space. Organize participants into groups of six to twenty. Ask groups to get into train formation and give each engine a magic marker. Tell groups that they are passenger trains who must pick up passengers--2 passengers per car (per person).

Explain that balloons become passengers easily when one inflates them and creates a face on them with the magic marker. Tell them to move around in train formation to a location where there is a balloon. One person must inflate the balloon, tie it, and paint a face on it with the magic marker. That person (or car) then carries that passenger with them. Each car will eventually be carrying two passengers in it.

Explain that groups will be competing to fill their trains (two passengers per car) with passengers of the same color. The train that is filled first wins the race. Remind participants that their train must stay still while a person is inflating a balloon and drawing a face on it. The train can then move on to find another balloon (passenger) of like color.

The only time trains can uncouple is when they are standing still.

Variations Use pieces of cloth rather than balloons, increasing the pace of the race. Tell groups they must have five or six different color balloons.

Tips Remind participants that they must have two passengers per person when they pull into the station. Have everyone look at all the faces created.

How do you feel?

Ask the delegates to write down words or phrases that describe their feelings on the first day of training.

List the responses on the blackboard.

Then ask them to write down what they think you as the trainer - what are the feelings.

List them on the blackboard in a second column and note the parallels.

Briefly comment on your feelings and then discuss the joint participant/trainer responsibilities for learning in the course.

My Name

People introduce themselves and tell what they know about why they have their name (their mother wanted to name me after her great aunt Rukmani who once climbed Everest Peak in high heels, etc.).


It could be the first, middle or nickname.

Famous Person

People write a famous name on a piece of paper and pin it on someone else's back.

Person tries to guess what name is pinned on his/her by asking others around the room yes or no questions.

Variation: Use famous place instead of famous person.

Find Someone

Each person writes on a blank index card one to three statements, such as favorite color, interest, hobby, or vacations.

Pass out cards so everyone gets someone else's card.

Have that person find the person with their card and introduce themselves.

Something Special

I've done something you haven't done.

Have each person introduce themselves and then state something they have done that they think no one else in the class has done.

If someone else has also done it, the student must state something else until he/she finds something that no one else has done.

Character Descriptions

Have delegates write down one or two adjectives describing themselves.

Put these on a stick-on badge.

Have other members find someone with similar or opposite adjectives and talk for five minutes with the other person.

Introduce someone else

Divide the class into pairs.

Each person talks about him/herself to the other, sometimes with specific instructions to share a certain piece of information.

For example, "The one thing I am particularly proud of is..." After five minutes, the participants introduce the other person to the rest of the class.

Self Introduction

Introduce myself.

Participants introduce themselves and tell why they are there. Variations: Participants tell where they first heard about the class, how they became interested in the subject, their occupations, home town, favorite television program, or the best book they have read in the last year.

Mental Block

It's common for people to have a "mental block" when it comes to solving problems about themselves.

Give them a room to decorate, a work project to complete or someone else's problem to solve and they're great. Turn those skills and experience on yourself for a change, and create a personal development plan that works for you.

Step 1 Focus Area

Choose 1 to 3 areas to focus on. Too many and you'll never get anywhere - too few and you may have all your proverbial eggs in one basket.

Step 2 Where are you now?

What are you like now? You need to know where you're starting from so you can measure your progress as you progress through your personal development plan.

Step 3 Will be?

If you went to bed tonight, and your problem was solved, what would that be like? What would you feel? What would you see? Knowing what you want to achieve will increase your chances of achieving it.

Step 4 How known?

What quantitative measure will tell you that you're achieving your goal? Even a simple 1-5 scale is enough to measure intangible goals, like increasing your confidence or reducing anxiety during presentations.

Step 5 Activities and Resources

What practical steps are you going to take to achieve your goal? Do you need to study or do research?

Step 6 When?

Plan time in your diary for specific activities like you would a regular appointment. If you must make changes, re-schedule for a later date. Be realistic about your commitments and make some adjustments to your life, or plan, if necessary.

Step 7 Reward

Giving yourself rewards as you achieve your mini-goals make the whole process more enjoyable. This may just provide the incentive you need to do the work that will make the big change you desire.